This invention relates to a marking system and particularly a marking device which can be used to transfer heat sublimatible dyes from a transfer sheet to a substrate in an accurate and easily controlled pattern such that images and designs may be imprinted thereon, as by free hand drawing. Such sublimatible dyes are known and are rapidly supplanting the use of conventional printing processes wherein the substrate material to be imprinted presents difficulty in accepting an image or design formed by conventional processes, i.e. off-set, rotogravure, and the like. Such substrates include fabric materials which are difficult to print by such conventional printing processes. The above described heat transfer printing method additionally enables the transfer of designs to substrates while utilizing a relatively low technology and inexpensive heat transfer equipment. Such is accomplished by the use of a transfer sheet imprinted with inks containing sublimatible dyes by using conventional printing techniques at a central location. The thus formed transfer sheets are then shipped to secondary locations wherein the design thus imprinted on the transfer sheet is heat transferred to the final substrate, that is, the fabric or other material in which the design is to be ultimately incorporated. In the use of such heat sublimatible inks, it would be desirable to be able to informally produce one or a limited number of transfer sheets in an informal manner, as by free hand drawing, so as to experiment in the creation of new fabric designs or to enable the formation of one-of-a-kind artistic representations through such heat transfer processes.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a marking device which enables the storage of such above-indicated sublimatible dyes in such a manner that the dye may be easily conveyed to a transfer sheet, as by free hand drawing.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the use of a marking device having an elongated closed body having primary and secondary chambers. The primary chamber is adapted to hold an elongated porous marking element which is utilized to absorb and lay down a film of ink upon the transfer sheet. The body of the marking device further includes a secondary chamber which acts as an ink reservoir. Longitudinal movement of the marking element relative to the body enables a normally closed valve positioned between the primary and secondary chambers to be opened to admit ink from the reservoir to the primary chamber. A ball positioned within the secondary chamber serves to maintain the sublimatible dye in suspension in the ink by rolling back and forth within the reservoir when the device is shaken or normally moved, as during drawing.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.